WH Blog: Ch 3 Documents


Sima Qian’s Views on the Xiongnu
I feel like it’s easiest to see the contrast between the writer and his subjects in this document. In a way, the source seems reliable since China lived side by side with the Xiongnu and have known them for years, interacting with them constantly. But on the other hand, there’s some biased involved. Because the Chinese and the Xiongnu lived differently, Sima Qian may have exaggerated certain aspects of the Xiongnu’s “barbarian” nature. In addition, the Chinese and Xiongnu seem to have a strained relationship. They don’t always get along, so Sima Qian may have had ambivalent feelings towards the Xiongnu that could subconsciously appear in his writing.
Which aspects of Xiongnu culture would likely appear most different or distasteful to Sima Qian?
One aspect of culture that would appear different to Qian would be the Xiongnu’s lack of any walled settlements. In contrast, China seems to be a bit territorial, to the point where they would build a Great Wall just to keep foreigners out. Qian also says that the Xiongnu honor those who are strong and don’t value the weak or old. In war, the Xiongnu also only fight for themselves and not for others. They keep what they get from battle and are even able to get their comrades’ property if they bring the corpse. Furthermore, they don’t have any family names and overall put more value in their individuality. All of these characteristics of their culture may be different from traditional Chinese culture, where everyone works more cohesively as a group, protect those who are weak, and value the family unit.
One phrase stood out to me in this passage. Qian says that the Xiongnu know “nothing of proper behavior or justice” (Strayer 143). He backs this up by saying that the Xiongnu plunder villages and have no shame in running away from battle. This is something he found distasteful in Xiongnu culture.
What purpose does the story about Maodun serve in this account?
I think that Qian is retelling Maodun’s story to show that the Xiongnu are trained to blindly follow orders. Throughout the story, Maodun’s men slowly lose their sense of morality as they follow their leader. A Xiongnu leader has men who are always faithful to him no matter what the circumstances are. This story further support Qian’s claim about the Xiongnu lacking proper behavior or justice.
What can you infer about the relationship between China and the Xiongnu from the letter of Emperor Wen? How do you imagine he and Sima Qian felt about that letter?
From Emperor Wen’s letter, we can infer that China and the Xiongnu have a strained relationship. In the letter, Emperor Wen discusses a previous attack on China by the Xiongnu. He doesn’t seem to want a war, so he ends the letter by basically saying he won’t let one incident get in the way of peace so he’ll overlook the attack. He then offers to send the Xiongnu gifts since he knows the Xiongnu can’t grow many crops. Would you randomly offer to send gifts to someone who just attacked you? This emperor obviously wants to stay in good relations. I imagine that Emperor Wen felt he wasn’t obliged to keep the peace anymore. Wen could’ve attacked at anytime since the Xiongnu broke peace first, but it was more important for him that the Xiongnu stay calm and don’t attack again. It was in his best interest he handled it very well. I imagine that Qian felt the same way and thought that the attack on China was unjust and deserved punishment.


Thank you for reading and have a nice day! :)

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